Pegasus News Archive, 2002

During a two-hour after school sail on December 6, eight local youth from Rosa Parks Elementary continued to learn about sailing on the San Francisco Bay. The sail was coordinated through the Berkeley Boosters and was crewed by six Pegasus Project volunteers. With the rainy weather leaving everyone feeling a little damp, the voyage was a memorable experience. On December 7, Pegasus crew had the opportunity to participate in a crew orientation under the guidance of training captain Bill Proctor. The orientation focused on engine systems and safely docking and undocking the vessel.

Pegasus Sails With Twelve From Boosters
Posted November 22, 2002

With Mark Caplin as captain and Paul Marbury at the helm, Pegasus sailed with twelve Berkeley Boosters on November 15. This was one of a series of after school sails aboard Pegasus that provides local at-risk youth a chance to experience their backyard bay in a new way.

Boosters counselors set sail aboard Pegasus
Posted October 18, 2002

On Friday, October 11, a group ofPegasusProject volunteer crew introduced six newly hiredBerkeley Boosterscounselors to our sailing program during a two hour sail aboard the Pegasus. All of the new counselors are working for the Boosters as AmeriCorps members and will be placed in one of the four east bay schools that have partnered with the Boosters for the 2002-2003 school year. These counselors will work in conjunction with the Nautilus Institute and The Berkeley Yacht Club to provide local 5th-8th grade at-risk youth the opportunity to learn new life-skills and an appreciation of the natural environment through sailing on the San Francisco Bay.

Caplin Awarded Berkeley Boosters Volunteer of the Year
Posted October 10, 2002

Pegasus Project’s Captain Mark Caplin was honored as Male Volunteer of the Year at theBerkeley Boosters Association/Police Activities League annual fundraising dinner on October 10. Mark started with the Pegasus Project 8 years ago as one of the original crew members after finishing a sailing course at Olympic Circle Sailing Club. He eventually worked his way up to the Mate position and then to Captain. As a Pegasus Captain, Mark is responsible for the safety of the youth at the dock and under sail as well as crew coordination, navigation, and decision-making.

Pegasus Continues New Crew Training
Posted September 20, 2002

The Saturday, September 14 crew training for three new crew members reinforced nautical skills learned last week and taught new Pegasus safety techniques. The group practiced an undersail person overboard rescue. On land training familiarized the crew with the safety features and emergency equipment aboard Pegasus. Nautilus Institute Executive Director, Peter Hayes was the captain and crew members included: Andrew Harkness , a member ofOlympic Circle Saily Club’s service department, Lea Prince, Pegasus Project Manager, and Jeffrey Asher, a former navyman with many years of on-the-water experience in large vessels.

New Volunteers Train Aboard Pegasus
Posted September 13, 2002

Five new Pegasus crewmembers had the opportunity to participate in an introductory crew training on September 7. Nautilus Institute’s Executive Director, Peter Hayes, led the training with the assistance of Chris Zekos, a former Berkeley Boosters student and experienced Pegasus crewmember. The on-land and on-water training gave the new crew an excellent introduction to volunteer roles aboard Pegasus. The day was highlighted by a 2 and a half hour sail in brilliant, sunny conditions on the bay.

On August 28th, 16 volunteer crew, captains and Nautilus staff sailed aboardPegasus in the San Francisco Sails Tall Ships Parade. The parade, which marked the beginning of the San Francisco Tall Ship Festival, proceeded from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge and included over 35 local and international tall ships and historic vessels. With gusts of wind up to 30 knots and an incredible amount of parade and spectator traffic, it was a wild and wet ride that was handled skillfully by our well-trained captains and crew. The event was a well-deserved opportunity for the Pegasus Project’s dedicated volunteers to share an exciting day on the water after our busy summer sailing season and to introduce potential volunteers to the thrills of sailing aboard Pegasus.

Over this summer, eight students from the Berkeley Boosters Summer Program participated in crew trainings and overnight voyages aboard the Pegasus. A graduation, barbeque and awards ceremony celebrating their achievements was held August 21, 2002 in the Berkeley Marina. The event was held in conjunction with the entire Berkeley Boosters Summer Program Graduates and their familes, and included representatives of the Berkeley Yacht Club’s Youth Racing as well as Mayor Shirley Dean and Chief of Police, Roy L. Meisner.

Activities included tours of the ketch, The Pegasus, as well as short sail trips with Paul Kamen of the Berkeley Yacht Club. Nautilus Executive Director Peter Hayes congratulated each graduate in a special ceremony and said, “There are many challenges you face out on the bay. The kids have learned how to overcome fears, how to operate in a team, and how to look after a boat and each other.”

Five Pegasus crew members and the Berkeley Boosters Executive Director, David Manson, and Counselor, Fele Uperesa, completed a crew training aboard Pegasus on August 12th. The crew members included Lea Prince, the new Pegasus Project Coordinator and experienced sailor. Dedicated volunteer, Captain Paul Marbury, led the day’s activities.

In winds up to 22 knots, we trained at the helm, starboard and port winches, as well as the lookout position with an eye out for other vessels. Dave and Fele of the Boosters enable our Summer Sailing Program – helping us bring youth-at-risk out on the bay in a team learning environment.

Over a dozen kids that participated in the Shorebird Nature Center’s Summer Boating Program finished off their program of canoeing and kayaking with a day of sailing on thePegasus. With gusts up to 25 knots on August 2nd, the Pegasus cruised the SF Bay waters with Jeanne Moje at the helm and excitement in everyone’s eyes.

We also had our first overnight trip to Angel Island with six Berkeley Boosters youth this season, August 5th-6th. It turned out to be two beautiful days of hiking to West Garrison and Camp Reynolds before mooring in Ayala Cove. The following day, the winds picked up and we decided to head for the Golden Gate. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for this experience of a life time!

Boosters’ Youth Complete Sailing Crew Trainings
Posted August 2, 2002

Youth from the Berkeley Booster’s Outdoor Education Summer Program are worn out from two days of crew trainings aboard Nautilus’ 51 foot ketch, the Pegasus. The kids spent all day on July 27th and July 29th rigorously training on crew procedures and learning how to sail. Both days we had strong winds and after reefing the main, we decided to sail with just the mizzen and jib sails.

These youth are part of the Marina Wide Youth Network and have been sailing aboard Pegasus as well as racing with the Berkeley Yacht Club. They are training in preparation for the Pegasus overnight sails to Angel Island starting next week.

Summer Season on Pegasus
Posted July 12, 2002

Join us in Pegasus’ summer season of sailing – we will be taking two day overnight trips out to Angel Island with the Berkeley Boosters during July and early August, culminating in an awards ceremony set for the second week of August. In preparation, Boosters’ kids will be training aboard Pegasus along side our volunteer crew in two days of trainings.

In addition, we are collaborating with the Shorebird Nature Center’s Summer Boating Program to provide a day of sailing to youth participating in canoing, kayaking, and going out on a research vessel.

Northern California Grantmakers Summer Youth Project supports the Pegasus Project’s Summer Lifeskills, a program offered to Berkeley Boosters’ youth-at-risk each summer. At this annual event, we work with groups of youth on overnight sailing trips to Angel Island in which they learn basic life skills and respect for each other and the environment.

Other recent in-kind donations that are invaluable to Pegasus include sounding leads fromPort Townsend Foundry that will be used as part of our summer curriculum, an EPIRB battery fromNorthern Airborne Technology that helps us maintain our high safety standards, and finally the beautiful photosfrom Cris Hammond of Paparazzi and Mariah’s Eyes Photography. Without such generosity from the supportive community, Pegasus would not be what it is today.

Pegasus Crew Train Hard for Safety
Posted June 10, 2002

Five new Pegasus volunteers trained to become crew on June 8, 2002. The training covered routine and emergency tasks for the stern hand known as position 6. Everyone tried their hand at throwing the heaving lines, rigging the person-overboard-retrieval pole and line, and operating other safety-critical equipment. Each located the fire extinguishers and seacocks, learned how to handle docklines, and were introduced to the deck flow when kids are aboard.

Underway, Saul Schumsky refreshed his back-and-fill or “U-turn” of Pegasus in a narrow channel with the new motor. Outside the breakwater, crew tacked to windward in a stiff breeze. They learned the “look, no thumbs” sheet handling technique used around winches aboard Pegasus to keep fingers intact. Before returning to dock, the crew exercised a figure-of-eight return to a simulated person-overboard in light, veering winds.

A crack crew of Pegasus volunteers, including Chris Zekos, former youth participant in the youth program and now part of the adult crew, won the Marconi 1 division of the annual Master Mariners’ Regatta-America’s oldest sailing race. The crew wrote a detailed account from the deck of Pegasus covering tactical navigation and including congratulatory messages from friends of the Pegasus Project.

Boosters Discover SF Bay
Posted May 31, 2002

It was a beautiful, crystal clear, day on the Bay as nine Berkeley Booster students from BB King Middle School’s English program headed out on Pegasus for a quick afternoon sail. After a safety briefing from Captain Mark Caplin, the students watched as helm Christine Alberson set sail for the Berkeley flats.

As the wind picked up, the boat “heeled over” making students brace their feet against the toerail. They made their way to the bow sprit in teams of three, aided by crew, Dave Weinberg, Paul Marbury, Jim Gaebe and Richard Gillette. Some students were able to steer the boat while waiting their turn for the trip forward.

Apprehensive before the sail, the student’s were thrilled and exhausted on the way home. This was a make-up sail for them and both the students and crew were glad that they were finally able to experience the thrill of sailing on the Bay.

Nautilus Participates in the Berkeley Bay Festival
Posted May 3, 2002

On a gorgeous afternoon on the Berkeley Marina, Nautilus joined a group of over fifty environmental education and marina organizations in providing information and interactive activities for thousands of youth and families from the local community at the Berkeley Bay Festival, April 27, 2002. Children helped us create a beautiful mural on a sail for Pegasus while learning about some of the wonders of the bay. It was a great opportunity for everyone to learn about the importance of the bay within our ecosystem in addition to some of the many ways to enjoy and protect it.

Pegasus Helps Clean Ayala Cove on Earth Day
Posted April 26, 2002

On April 20, 2002, Nautilus staff joined the volunteer clean-up activity at Ayala Cove convened by the California Park Service to commemorate Earth Day in the United States. The Nautilus team helped remove rubbish from the beach after voyaging from Berkeley to Angel Island on the Pegasus. On the voyage and clean-up effort were Lyuba and Benjamin Zarsky, Hans, Adam and Sandra Kristensen, and Peter Hayes.

Franklin Elementary Students Sail into the Bay
Posted April 19, 2002

In the last Spring 2002 Nautilus Institute/Shorebird Nature Center Introduction to Sailing Program School Sail, students from Franklin Elementary School in Berkeley went on a voyage aboard Pegasus. The groups of fourth grade students were thrilled by the winds, sun, tides and sailing atop the waves.

A special treat for all aboard was sailing right through waters thickly speckled with “By-the-wind Sailors,” or Velella vellela, a type of hydrozoan jellyfish. According to Breanna, “I liked seeing the jellyfish and I liked learning how to steer and turn the boat. It was fun.” Other sails for 10-17 year old youths continue on Pegasus throughout the summer months.

Garden Gate Students Experience the Bay
Posted April 12, 2002

Fourth and fifth grade students from Garden Gate Elementary School in Cupertino had the opportunity to experience the San Francisco Bay aboard the sailing vessel, Pegasus. April 10th, 2002, twenty-six students sailed aboard the 51-foot ketch, stood as lookout, sat on the bow sprit, and felt the wind on their faces. In the words of one student, Thanh-ha, “This was the best adventure ever!”

The students also learned about compasses, navigation, and how to operate a small boat over at Cal Sailing Club while they participated in the Shorebird Nature Center Land School for part of the day.

Fifth Graders Sail Aboard Pegasus
Posted April 5, 2002

Two classes of fifth graders sailed on the San Francisco Bay for the first time aboard the 51-foot ketch Pegasus. Emily Vogler’s students from E.M. Downer Elementary and Jim Harris’ class from Jefferson Elementary came out on the bay March 27th and 29th, 2002.

While under sail, they took bearings with compasses, stood lookout, sat up on the bow sprit, and a few even got to act as helmsman for a portion of the sail!

The Myrtle L. Atkinson Foundation awarded Nautilus Institute $5,000 to work with youth and youth-at-risk on the San Francisco Bay aboard Pegasus, the Institute vessel. The contribution will enable us to bring more youth into the marine environment and educate them about Bay Area ecology and the discovery of the bay as well as teach them important life skills such as cooperation and teamwork.

Willard Middle School Students Get Their First Taste of Sailing
Posted March 29, 2002

Students from Willard Middle School were introduced to sailing aboard Pegasus on a trip with the Berkeley Boosters March 21, 2002. It was a cool afternoon, with plenty of wind for sailing – we only used the jib and the mizzen sails. For most of the students, it was the first time they had been on a sailboat on the San Francisco Bay – let alone up on the bow!

This sail was the first with the Berkeley Boosters for the season. We will have after-school sails throughout the spring, introducing the youth to sailing and training return kids. Once summer begins, we will go on overnight voyages to Ayala Cove on Angel Island.

Emerson Elementary Students Sail Aboard Pegasus
Posted March 22, 2002

Two classes from Emerson Elementary School in Berkeley sailed aboard Pegasus with their teachers, Jenny Weddle and Steve Eslomi, on March 13 and 15, 2002. The youth sails, our first in the Spring season 2002, were in conjunction with the Shorebird Nature Center.

Both days of sailing were beautiful–cool and sunny with lots of wind! Kids not only had the opportunity to experience the bay wilderness first hand aboard a sailing vessel, but they also learned about compasses and navigation, learned how necessary teamwork is in sailing, and pretended to be crew with a Lido on land.

Teachers, volunteers, and the Pegasus crew completed a teacher training on March 2 for the upcoming Spring 2002 sailing program of the Pegasus Project and Shore bird Nature Center. Patty Donald and Denise Brown, staff of the Shorebird Nature Center, conducted the training, which included a review of curriculum with our on-lineVirtual Voyage and the introduction of new “Voyage of Discovery” curriculum materials.

After simulating sailing with a Lido at Cal Sailing Club , everyone boarded Pegasus for a beautiful afternoon sail. As well as learning about Pegasus’ detailed safety procedures, teachers discovered the bay from a new perspective – on the water. As one teacher said in the end-of-voyage debrief “I am excited that my students will experience the calm and beauty of the marine wilderness” – students will have the opportunity to discover the bay on Pegasus starting March 13 with youth sails running throughout the summer.

Also over the weekend, eleven Shorebird Nature Center Docents had the thrill of voyaging on Pegasus on a balmy evening, March 1, 2002. They engaged in the on-board curriculum used on student voyages and, like the students, closed their eyes and listened for natural and artificial sounds. They also visited the bowspirit – always a favorite with the students!

The Pegasus Project, the youth and environmental community outreach project of the Institute, has launched a new online gallery of the beautiful artwork and poetry that students produce after their experience sailing aboard Pegasus. We have also updated the photo gallery with students’ photographs on sails from the last five seasons. We will be adding to the collection in the coming months so please check back soon. The generous support of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation made this gallery possible.